“Today, we should relax the political background, focus primarily on the process of reforms, as well as on European integration, and no one should feel that today’s referendum is some sort of pressure anyone is putting on us”, stated Minister of European Integration Jadranka Joksimović.
She has stressed that there has been a deep, inclusive and more participatory process of amendment preparation, and that the legal experts have offered the best answer to what should be done, which is to remove the unfitting and inappropriate political influence on the work of courts and prosecutor’s offices.
As a guest on RTS, Joksimović has recalled that the proposed amendments are a result of a comprehensive and broad inclusive debate, where all stakeholders participated and found the solutions that are now proposed.
Asked whether the campaign was “shy”, i.e. whether more could have been done to explain the reasons for, as well as against those amendments, Joksimović has stressed that she does not understand the people who are against.
“I have to ask what exactly they are against. Are they against the improvement of the rule of law? If so, that is truly absurd. If those who deliver justice say that these are the areas of law that must be improved by removing politics from serving justice and fair treatment of citizens, I cannot imagine the reasons to be against that”, emphasised Joksimović.
Asked whether it may be said that the constitutional amendments have arrived late, she has answered that it is never late for democracy.
“It is never late for democracy, for strengthening institutions and restoring citizens’ trust in institutions, particularly in the judiciary. If something has been prolonged, it is only to find the best solution and not to put political pressure on such an important issue. These are not elections before the elections. This is an important issue that has nothing to do with the elections. This is a process in which we as citizens directly contribute with our votes to the strengthening of the judiciary and to mending the wrongs”, said Joksimović.
She has noted that it shouldn’t be shown in the European integration process that Serbia is a society immature for the rule of law.
She has assessed that the Serbian citizens are up to such a big change, that the judiciary is up to such changes, expressing her belief that today’s referendum will be successful.
“This is one of the vital pillars for the judicial reform, which is key in Serbia’s European integration process. If today we vote for the constitutional amendments, and I believe we will, we must then adopt a whole series of judicial laws that will enable the implementation (application) of all that. We will always do that in line with the highest European standards and more – in line with the highest legal standards, because that is what our citizens deserve and expect”, concluded Minister Jadranka Joksimović.
Source: Tanjug and RTS
